Keeping occupied when isolated can be a challenge for us but in the early 1900s, for children and families on farms along the Murrumbateman Creek it was a part of normal daily living.
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Roads were roughly constructed or just tracks. Creeks flooded. Cars were a rarity and all travel was on foot, horseback or by horse and sulky. Mail had to be collected from the post office store in the village. Telephones were a luxury most couldn't afford and a trip to Yass was an exciting outing rarely attempted.
At the one teacher Murrumbateman school, children started classes when they were seven. So how did youngsters occupy themselves when not at school? There were always chores: fetching the water from the spring fed well for the house, watering the precious vegetable garden with the creek water, milking the cow in the morning and yarding the calf in the evening.
One advantage of large families was to provide big brothers and sisters to play with. These siblings could invent all kinds of games and mischief and sometimes father lent a hand. Jean and Norma remember the old tricycle that had lost its front wheel. Father tied it securely to the post that held up the washing line and each of the eight children grew up in turn pedalling away madly going nowhere but enjoying the ride!
The sheep yard game kept the brood occupied for hours. Sticks and fire kindling were carved by the big boys into sheep, gates and fences. The girls were too young to play with knives but they all happily joined in herding and drafting "sheep" under the backyard pine trees along the drive. Similar ingenuity produced billy carts and rough, but treasured dolls.
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Concerts were organised in the grain shed with the stored wheat sheaves piled up for the stage and wheat sacks and stumps as seating for the audience. Tommy was always the leader. He devised instruments out of string stretched tight across a stick or they had their Jews harp and mouth organs. Singing and charades delighted both performers and audience alike. When the old hen flew into the molasses vat in the corner and stuck fast, Tommy's wise advice was to sneak away and say nothing! Father would sort out the problem in the morning.
Each of the children learned either the piano or violin from Mr Gallagher who visited the school from Queanbeyan once a week so practice was part of the daily routine. Visitors were treasured but a singsong around the pedal organ with just family was a regular occurrence, especially on Sunday when, after a bath, Sunday clothes were put on and outside games were banned. Sunday school and church were part of the day and maybe a visit to the neighbour's for tea.
- Judith Davidson is from the Yass and District Historical Society Inc.
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